Chapel Worship Guide 8.12.2012

Service Order for 9:00 AM
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Nemmers Family Chapel at Advocate Condell

Welcome—Barbara Shafer, Christ Church Highland Park

Songs of Praise­—Allan Koetz

Reading of Scripture:

Isaiah 49:6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” 7 This is what the LORD says– the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel– to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” 8 This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, 9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. 10 They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. 11 I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. 12 See, they will come from afar– some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.” 13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones (NIV)

2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (NIV)

Prayer—Barbara Shafer

Message— Barbara Shafer

“Who is this King of Glory?  He is the God who comforts us.” 

God condescends to us in our suffering and offers us comfort.  He brings Himself to us eye-to-eye and face-to-face in our suffering.  He came to us this way in Christ who took on flesh, who took on the role of Suffering Servant, and who took our punishment so that we could have the blessed hope of eternal life.

By looking at us in this way, God comforts us and in so doing, He shows us that:

(1)    Our suffering has purpose—to learn how to comfort others.  To share comfort and learn compassion.

(2)    Our suffering has meaning—to share in what Christ shared in leaving His heavenly home and adding humanity, being God with Us.  We share in His suffering (in part) and we share in His comfort (in abundance).

(3)    Our suffering has an effect: perseverance!  Christ learned obedience to what He suffered.

(4)    Our suffering has hope—Christ has overcome the world.  We must rely on God and not on ourselves.

Song of Response— Allan Koetz

Benediction—Barbara Shafer